


Keep the Magic

by Isabear



Series: Summer Pornathon 2013 [6]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Characters in Fandom, F/M, Fandom, Feels, Nostalgia, Post-Canon, Team Gluttony, meta fiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-26
Updated: 2013-09-26
Packaged: 2017-12-27 17:37:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/981732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Isabear/pseuds/Isabear
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>"I can't believe it's over," she whispered, wiping quickly at her eyes. "I mean, five years of our lives."</i>
</p><p>The Merlin characters faces the end of their canon, as fans.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Keep the Magic

**Author's Note:**

> The mod was very kind to make this the last text entry of the Summer Pornathon 2013 (round 7, "magic"). Thank you to everyone who left sweet comments about it. I was overwhelmed by your reactions. <3

Gwen turned off the telly and leaned her head on Arthur's shoulder.

"I can't believe it's over," she whispered, wiping quickly at her eyes. "I mean, five years of our lives."

Arthur made a face. "We've done other things in the past five years. We haven't been sat here the whole time." But his voice was rough, and he had to clear his throat twice to get the words out.

"It's just-" Gwen tried to put her feelings into words, the sense of loss now that their show wouldn't be on every Saturday evening in the fall, how she would miss tweeting her reactions with Merlin, would miss Morgana's phone calls later, when they would debate whether this show was single-handedly rolling back all the feminist readings of the legends popularized by Mists of Avalon. Would the kink meme keep going? Would all their fannish friends wander off to new fandoms and leave them behind? To be honest, that was already happening, had been since Series 3.

Arthur pulled her close, his hand curling over her shoulder. "I know."

Their lovemaking that night was gentle. Arthur pulled her on top with her knees on either side of his hips, moving against her gently. He rubbed at the thin skin over her hipbones with his thumbs, his expression soft and turned inward. In his own way, he was grieving too. Gwen framed his face with her fingers. 

"Hey," she whispered. His eyes flickered, clearing, until he was actually seeing her. "It's okay. We'll, uh. We'll get the DVDs."

He looked startled for a moment, then laughed long and hard, head tipped back. "Only you, Guinevere," he choked out, still chuckling.

She kissed him mid-laugh.

***

Merlin sent her a PM the next morning, profusely apologetic. 

_**Sorry!** _   
_**From: RusticWizardBoy** _

_Gwaine decided to cheer me up by taking me to the pub and calling the boys out. It was- well, it was Gwaine. He's still sleeping it off._

_Cafe today? Freya's shift starts at 2._

_xoxo,_   
_Merlin_

She sent a quick reply - _yes, will bring Arthur & Morgana_ \- and typed up a journal post, locking it to her Camelot filter.

_Lunch today @ the usual, 2 if you can make it. I'll buy everyone tarts if you let me cry on your shoulders._

She had 30 comments in under an hour, though half of them were from out-of-towners. (And one sad comment from Elena, stuck in British Columbia for the term.)

Smiling, she called Freya to warn her.

***

The Rising Sun Cafe was packed, nearly 3 dozen extremely devoted fans of a popular programme chattering, commiserating, and promising each other they'd stay in touch. Mithien was using the wireless to skype Elena in, so at least one of those fans wasn't taking up a seat, but most of the rest of the room was full. Gwen decided she owed Freya and Sefa a large tip for putting up with this.

"Avengers," Will said knowingly, "or Teen Wolf. If you want the group dynamic, that is. Sherlock if you were only in it for the weirdly hot guys."

"Don't stereotype," Elyan said. "Some fans like the genre and the whole legends bit."

Will raised an eyebrow. "Really, Mr. 'omg, look at that knight's arse'?"

Elyan cleared his throat and got up. "Oh look, Gwen needs me."

He dragged his chair over two tables and dropped into it with a sigh. Gwen watched him, amused. 

"Clearing the field?" she asked.

"Will's a wanker," he grumbled.

"But you'll miss him."

He bit his lip and looked away, and she found herself twisting her hands in her lap. They'd miss everyone.

Across the room, Morgana was explaining the issues inherent in _Lost Girl_ trying to portray a strong female character who was a slave to her sexuality. Morgause was arguing that the debate over a woman's sexual power was one of the most revolutionary themes to be dissected on a major genre series. Between them, Kara was looking back and forth, eyes wide with wonder.

Elyan was watching too. "Fandom," he snorted. "The fights are so bitter because the stakes are so small."

"But it's what we love." Gwen watched Arthur and Merlin argue about a minor piece of canon, Gaius looking on fondly. "It's who we are."

"Yeah," he agreed, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry, sis. The magic's not in the canon - it's in the people. And we're not going anywhere."

**Author's Note:**

> That's it. That's the fandom.
> 
> Pornathon is over, but the magic never ends.


End file.
